Agartala: June 03, 2023: Following the recent conviction of four individuals, including a police officer, in the 2019 bank manager murder case in Tripura, the West Tripura District and Session judge delivered the verdict on their punishment on Saturday. The convicts have been sentenced to life imprisonment and directed to pay a cash penalty of Rs 50,000 each. Special public prosecutor Samrat Kar Bhowmik on Saturday told media personnel that failure to deposit the cash penalty would result in an extension of their jail term by three months.
Notably, in the early hours of August 3-4, 2019, Bodhisatya Das, former manager of the United Commercial Bank (UCO) branch in Dharmanagar under the North Tripura District, fell victim to a brutal murder near Jackson Gate in Agartala. The four accused individuals involved in the heinous crime are Sumit Chowdhury, Sumit Banik, police sub-inspector Sukanta Biswas, and Omar Sharif, also known as Shoaib.
The prosecutor clarified that life imprisonment implies incarceration for the entire natural life of the convicts. To dispel any confusion, he referred to a Supreme Court judgment in the Duryodhan Rout case, which explicitly defined life imprisonment as imprisonment until the convicted person’s natural life comes to an end. Bhowmik requested a clear written instruction regarding this matter to be included in the judgment for future reference.
Bhowmik further explained that the prosecution did not seek the death penalty in this case as it did not meet the criteria of being classified as the “rarest of the rare” category.
Expressing gratitude to the state forensic science laboratory and the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Chandigarh, Bhowmik emphasized the crucial role played by both institutions in aiding the prosecution to prove the guilt of the accused individuals.
According to Bhowmik, the state forensic science laboratory conducted an analysis of blood samples collected from the scooter and the murder weapon, which belonged to Soheb Miah, the person responsible for fatally stabbing the victim. The analysis revealed a match between the samples, providing concrete evidence of Miah’s involvement in the crime.
Additionally, the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Chandigarh scrutinized a video statement made by the deceased before his death. The defense had claimed that the video was doctored. However, after examination by the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, all doubts were dismissed, further strengthening the prosecution’s case.
The conviction and subsequent sentencing of the four individuals involved in the bank manager murder case mark a significant milestone in the pursuit of justice for the victim and his family.
The murder of Bodhisatya Das remains a grim reminder of the need for a just and secure society, as the community stands united in the pursuit of justice and support for the victim’s family.
